Signaling apparatus



Sept. 17, 1935. o. Kr-:Aus

SIGNALING APPARATUS v Filed Harsh 2o, 1951 Patented Sept. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE SIGNALING APPARATUS Otto Kraus, Bad Liebenstein, Germany Application March 20, 1931, Serial No. 524,151;

In Germany September 27, 1929 2 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to signaling apparatus specially adapted for indicating the direction of a road vehicle and provided with a signal arm, capable of being removed from its case. Such apparatus of well known construction have the disadvantage that the indicating pointer or beck- Oning arm, and the electro-magnetic coil, and other parts can only be diflicultly removed or interchan ed.

Accor' fg to the present invention the signal arm andfthe electromagnetic coil form an interchangeable part which is arranged in its case inv such a manner that, after disconnecting this part simultaneouslyinterrupted. One feature of the invention resides in the fact vthat at the inner wall of the direction indicating apparatus is arranged 'an insulated conducting rod one end of which leads to the electromagnetic coil and is formed as a part which is resilient in itself for i the purpose of rmly pressing against the 'contacts of the coil. A further feature of the invention resides in a'plug-contact arranged on the..

case to which contact leads the conducting rod referred to. A further feature of the invention resides in a locking means, for instance an adjusting screw by which the signal arm and the support carrying the electromagnetic coil are connected with the case. For facilitating the removal of the support carrying the pointer and the coil the said support is suitably xed in the case against the action of a spring which, due to its tension, after loosening the fixing member, pushes the support out of the case.

The invention is represented by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which shows Fig. 1 a side elevation of a direction indicator the signal arm being removed Fig. 2 a side elevation of the direction indicator, and

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section ot the direction indicator.

The signal arm 2 is fastened to a shaft I which is pivotally mounted in two ears I rectangularly bent off from the plate 4. and the plate 4" of the coil are made in one piece. An ear I I forming an abutment projects from th'ejplate 4' and an intermediate member I2, in the normal position of the pointer 2, rests upon said ear II thereby preventing the said pointer 2 from being unintentionally moved out of its case. The intermediate member' I2 is pivotally connected with the signal arm 2 and with the core 3 of the electromagnetic c oil 3.-A 'I'he end portion 9 'oi' the disk l' catches under a piece The said plate 4^ IIi fastened to the case and suitably formed as a. body which is resilient in itself. The electromagnetic coil 3 is firmly connected with the end plate 4" of the electromagnetic coil and with a coil disk 5 of angular cross-section. The plate 5 5 possesses a longitudinal slit 6 into which catches an adjusting knob 1 pivotally connected with the case 8.

To the rear wall of the case 8 is fastened a contact-bar I4 which is insulated from said casing. l0 The end I3 of this contact-bar I4 is formed resilient in itself and is connected with the contactpiece of the electro-magnetic coil. 'I'he other end of the contact-bar I4 is also formed resilient in itself and leads to plug-contact to be later 15 described. The contact bar I4 is insulated from the frame and from the casing by strips I4'.

The signal arm 2 and the parts 4, 4', 4" of the electromagnetic coil 3 and thev angularly shaped end-piece 5 form a single part removably ar- 20 ranged in the case. For removing this part from the case the locking device 'I is turned in such a direction that it lits into the opening 6. The removable part is then at once pushed out of the case by means of the spring I3 and, unrestrained 25 by the conducting wires, may be completely removed from the case.` The signal arm together with the coil may be put in in the same easy' and quick manner. For this purpose rst of all'the end 9 of the plate 4 is pushed under the piece 30 III, and the interchangeable part 3, 5 is then pushed into the case asfar as possible so that the locking device I may be brought into the position shown in Fig. 1. Hereby the signal arm and the coil are secured in the case. Neither during the removal nor during the installation of thel signal arm together with the coilany conducting wires whatever need to be connected nor disconnected.

.An insulating plug I5 is designed to be remov- 40 ably inserted in the metal socket I6 and secured therein by a threaded pin. I6'. One of the conducting wires I5' extends through the plug I5 and is bare or headed at the upper'end of the plug to form electrical contact with the contact bar I4 when the plug is in operative position y The other conducting wire 28 leads. through the plug and is bare in line with the pin I6', so that when the plu'g is inserted Vto operative position it not @my holds the plug in piace but makes electrical contact with the lwire 28 ;to complete the other side of thecircuit. g

In the frame of thel signal arm 2 there-is provided an opening Y I8 for interchanging the in; candescent lamp. This opening I8 may be closed!$6 by a slide il which is displaceable by means of a knob 2l. .An insulated contact-spring 2| is arranged inside the signal arm. Close to the opening Il the traineV o! the pointer possesses a perforation 22 which is connected with the opening il. duction into the pointer throughV the opening Il, may be pushed with its accessible end from the opening I8 into the position represented in Fig. 3, and, reversely, from the position shown in Fig. Smayeasilybepushedintothe opening Il and removed.

'I'he electromagnet I and the signal arm 2 are connected so as to form a part removable as a whole out of its case. With the upper plate I" of the coil of the electromagnet 4is connected a contact-spring 23 which possesses a contact-bar 24 leading to the contact-bar Il. The contact spring 2l and upper end of contact bar 2l are `secured to the plate I" by a set-screw 23' and insulated from the plate by an insulating strip 24'. To the pivot 25 by which the signal arm is pivotally connected with the intermediate member i2, is fastened a socket 26 which, in the working or horizontal position of the signal arm, touches the contact-spring 23 whereby current is transmitted from the conductor l to the incandescent lamp. During the installation and the removal o! the incandescent lamp the operation is as follows:

The incandescent lamp 21 is introduced vtin-ouah the opening il and is hereby 'at once brought into contact with the spring 2l insulated from thesignalarm2at2i'whichspring2lmakes l a certain opposition to the introduction of the lamp 21 and prevents'the lattei from falling into theinnerspaceofthesignalarm. Thelamp2l, aiterbeing intothisspaceotthesignal --arm 2, by its foremost part projecting from the Irameisthenpmhedlaterallytillthispartof thelamp catches into the opening 22. The lateralmotionmayalsobeetlectedbytheslidell..

Theadmissionofthecurrenttothelampis eiiectedinwellknownmanner. Ifthelampis tobereplacedbyanewoneitisonlyneeessary todisplaeetheforemostpartofthelampby The incandescent lamp after its intro` hand from the opening I8 whereupon the lamp through the action of the spring A2| is pushed outottheinnerspaeeoftheai'm! What I claim is:

I.Inadirectionindicator,acasing`havingan 5 open side, a frame, means carried by the easing to interiit with the upper end of the trame to hold said iframe in operative position within the easing, locking means carried by the casing to engage the frame for securing the frame in the casing with its upper end in engagement'with said means, a signal arm pivoted at itsupper end to the frame, an. electric conductor secured to and insulated from the casing, an electromagnet carried by the frame and means for operatively connecting it to the signal arm, means carried by the frame and adapted to electrically engage said electric conductor when the frame is secured within the casing, said last named means adapted to supply current to the electromant. an illuminating means in' said signal arm. a contact arm carried by and insulated from the trame which is adapted to contact with said last means when the frame is positioned within the casing. and means carriedl by the signal arm to engagez!) said contact arm and complete the circuit to the illuminating means when the arm is moved to its operative position by the electromagnet.

2. A direction indicator comprising a easing having an open side, a frame, means carried byl 30 said casing to engage and retain said frame in the casing, a signal arm pivotally supported by said frame and movable casing through said open side, a solenoid carried by said frame and fixed thereto, a connection 3i between the movable member ot the solenoid and the signal arm. whereby on energization and deenergization of the solenoid said movable member signal 'arm out of and into the an electric uctor extending within a engaglhgtheiirstmentioned conductontheoth'erendotsaldsecondeonductorbeingelectricallyconnectedtothesolenoid4 OITOKRAUS. 

